Cannes expels Von Trier for Hitler remarks

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Cannes expels Von Trier for Hitler remarks

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The famously provocative 55-year-old, apologised but it proved too little too late.

19 May,2011 05:23 pm

The Cannes film festival expelled Danish director Lars Von Trier for jokingly calling himself a Nazi and Hitler sympathiser, leaving the worlds biggest cinema showcase in a state of shock.The expulsion, the first in 64 years, followed a hastily convened meeting of its board of directors. Festival director Thierry Fremaux said that while the film remained in competition, after Von Triers comments, the Festival had no choice but to make him persona non grata. Von Trier’s comments angered Jewish groups and caused U.S. actress Kirsten Dunst to squirm with embarrassment beside him at a press conference on Wednesday as he launched into a bizarre monologue about his Jewish and German heritage.Festival president Gilles Jacob described the meeting as tense and said the decision to withdraw Von Triers accreditation was not unanimous.